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Relief grant in the Fifth Circuit

By Karl R. Keys, Esq.

The Fifth Circuti granted relief to Robert Fratta Tuesday on the right to challenge certain statements made by co-defendants in this matter.  “The state’s burden was to produce affirmative proof that a murder-for-hire had occurred, and on this point, the admissible evidence was far from conclusive.”  “By the terms of the indictment, the state was required to prove that Fratta employed Prystash or Guidry to kill Farah in exchange for remuneration in the form of money or a car.”. “As an initial matter, the admissible evidence connecting Prystash and Guidry to the murder was hardly overwhelming ” “On the crucial point of whether Fratta had engaged Prystash or Guidry to commit the murder for remuneration, the inadmissible evidence” at issue in this appeal “was vital to the state’s case...continue to full post

Full post as published by Capital Defense Weekly on July 22, 2008 (boomark / email).